Filipino drug mule executed in China

MANILA (3rd update, 1:09 p.m.) -- Vice President Jejomar Binay confirmed Wednesday afternoon that the Filipino convicted of drug trafficking was executed in China.

Binay, in a television interview, said the 35-year-old Filipino convicted for smuggling 1.495 kilos of heroin in Guangxi, China was executed through lethal injection at 12:30 p.m. in Liuzhou.

The drug convict met with his family at the Guilin in the Guangzxi Zhuang autonomous region in China around 9 a.m. before the promulgation of the Filipino's death sentence was read.

Binay said the Filipino's remains will be brought to Manila on Tuesday or Wednesday.

The family of the drug convict will return to the Philippines tomorrow, Friday.

The Filipino convict was arrested on September 13, 2008 at the Guilin International Airport, said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). On November 28, the Supreme People’s Court in Beijing affirmed a lower’s court’s decision to impose the death penalty on him.

The Filipino drug mule was detained at the Guilin detention house in Guangxi province.

President Benigno Aquino III earlier sent a letter of appeal to Chinese President Hu Jintao requesting commutation of the death penalty to life imprisonment.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario also made representations with the Chinese Ambassador to convey the appeal of the Philippine government for a mitigated sentence.

Similarly, former Philippine Ambassador to China Francisco Benedicto conveyed the government's appeal to a top official of the Chinese Supreme People’s Court (SPC).

But all efforts were in vain.

Relatives of the Filipino said they are "devastated" by China's refusal, adding they were informed by the DFA on November 30 "regarding the situation that our relative is facing."

"Needless to say, we are devastated by these developments," the family said in a statement.

They also said that the DFA has been "assisting" them "throughout the entire ordeal," and that they "continuously exhaust all possible measures to save our relative."

"It is a very difficult time for us and we are trying our best, through prayers, to cope with the situation," the statement said, urging also the public "to pray with our family."

"On behalf of our entire family, we would like to request all media to refrain from contacting any of us during this sensitive time. This is a private matter and we hope that the media would respect our wishes," the family added.

This is the last death penalty conviction, without reprieve, involving drug trafficking in China’s highest court. Of the six convicts who were sentenced to death last March, only three -- Ramon Credo, Sally Ordinario-Villanueva, and Elizabeth Batain -- were executed.

The government earlier reiterated its appeal to all Filipinos to refuse to act as drug couriers by drug syndicates.

It also appealed to the media to continue helping the government in its campaign against drug trafficking. (CVB/Sunnex)